| E.S. Posthumus | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Los Angeles, California, USA |
| Genres | Orchestral Electronic |
| Years active | 2000 – 2010 |
| Labels | Wigshop Records |
| Website | www.esposthumus.com |
| Past members | |
| Franz Vonlichten Helmut Vonlichten |
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E.S. Posthumus was an independent music group that produced cinematic style music. Their style is a form of classical [1] that intertwines popular style drum rhythms with orchestral and electronic sounds. Their music is inspired by the Pythagorean philosophy which states that "music is the harmonization of opposites; the conciliation of warring elements". The E.S. is an acronym for "Experimental Sounds" while Posthumus is a Dog Latin word that is meant to represent "all things past".[2]
The group was formed in 2000 by brothers Helmut and Franz Vonlichten. Helmut and Franz studied piano with their mother. After graduating from high school, Franz worked in recording studios while Helmut attended and graduated from UCLA, with a degree in archaeology. Their music has been licensed by many movie and television production studios, being included in numerous movie trailers and television shows. E.S. Posthumus released three albums overall in their career.
On July 22, 2010, it was officially announced that Franz died about two months before.[3] After giving notice of his brother's death, Helmut stated that while there still may be one or two unreleased songs (One of them being their single "Christmas Eve" released in November 2010), the group would no longer be active.[4] In November 2011, it was officially announced that Helmut Vonlichten has formed a new band called Les Friction,[5] and released a preview at his new work with a track called "Torture".[6]
Contents |
| Unearthed | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio album by E.S. Posthumus | ||||
| Released | Limited: 1st January 2001 Wide: 3rd May 2005 |
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| Genre | Modern Classical New Age Music Symphonic Rock |
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| Length | 58:13 | |||
| Label | Wigshop Records | |||
| Producer | E.S. Posthumus | |||
| E.S. Posthumus chronology | ||||
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| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic | [7] |
| Soundtrack.net | [8] |
| TrackSounds | [9] |
Unearthed, the first album composed by E.S. Posthumus, was originally made available for purchase online through the CD Baby website in January 2001. It became the third-biggest selling album in CDBaby's history. The success of the album prompted the wide re-release to retail in May 2005 through Wigshop and 33rd Street Records/Bayside Distribution.
A key piece to the distinctive sound of the music comes from working with the Northwest Sinfonia. In an interview with SoundtrackNet, the band said "we wanted the chance to blow an ungodly sum of cash working with a big orchestra".[10] Other musicians performing on this CD include Pedro Eustache, Michael Landau, Matt Laug, Lance Morrison, Davy Spillane and Efrain Toro.
In keeping with the theme of "all things past", each of the thirteen tracks on the album is named after an ancient and abandoned or destroyed city. However, Cuzco, Nara, Isfahan, and Estremoz still survive to this day.
Many tracks from Unearthed have been featured in various movie trailers and television shows. They have been used in the trailers for movies due to their escalating structure, which makes them well-suited for the dramatic montages building towards the credits in the aforementioned trailers.
An excerpt from the track "Nara" is used as the main theme for the CBS television show Cold Case. A vocal rise performed by a female solo singer (Elise Morris) leads into the opening title, where one of the verses of "Nara" is then played for the remainder of the sequence, concluding with a short melody from a woodwind instrument. At the time Executive Producer Jerry Bruckheimer chose the song to be used in the show, he had never actually met the Vonlichten brothers in person. Additionally, Michael A. Levine, a musical composer for television shows and advertisements, created a reworked version of "Nara" that is played during the show's closing credits as provided by the studio (though not as shown on CBS). The track was also featured in the animation for the presentation of the design for the Beijing WaterCube by the firm architectural LAVA.
The track "Ebla" was also used as the main menu music for the 2008 racing video game Ferrari Challenge: Trofeo Pirelli.[11]
One track from the Unearthed album has also been used in the BBC TV series Top Gear and its stage show, Top Gear Live.
The following list provides details on the movie trailers that have used tracks from the Unearthed album:
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
| Cartographer | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio album by E.S. Posthumus | ||||
| Released | 14th January 2008 | |||
| Genre | Modern Classical New Age Music Symphonic Rock |
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| Length | 2:14:05 | |||
| Label | Wigshop Records | |||
| Producer | E.S. Posthumus | |||
| E.S. Posthumus chronology | ||||
|
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| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| TrackSounds | [12] |
Cartographer, the second album from E.S. Posthumus, was proposed to make its release sometime in 2006, though was later released in early 2007. The delay from the original release date can so far only be attributed to the brothers Vonlichten's ill concern with deadlines, although it is rumored the delay in release was due to the addition of Sans to the group of musicians, an addition much heralded by Helmut Vonlichten[10]
Upon the album's release on the CDBaby website, it came accompanied with the following album description:
"In 1929, the ancient map "Piri Reis" was discovered in Istanbul. The map is extraordinary because it depicts bays and islands on the Antarctic coast which have been concealed under ice for at least 6,000 years. What civilization was capable of such exploration that long ago? On "Cartographer", we imagine that these explorers were from the tiny island of Numa in the Southern Indian Ocean. As advanced seafarers, they navigated every corner of the Earth. We have created a language unique to them and tell stories through song that describe their creation, discoveries and ultimate demise. This is a 2 CD collection with Vocal and Remix versions of every song. The Remix CD also contains 2 bonus tracks."
The vocal tracks are sung by Luna Sans, while the remix versions replace her vocals with instrumental solos and choir melodies, much in the style of Posthumus's first album, "Unearthed".
As of 17 January 2008, a new section was added to the official website of E.S. Posthumus with the focus being on the new album.
Disc 1 - Luna Sans (Vocal)
Disc 2 - Piri Reis Remixes (Remix)
The list below provides details on movie trailers or television programs that have used tracks from the Cartographer album:
2008
2009
| Makara | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio album by E.S. Posthumus | ||||
| Released | 2 February 2010 | |||
| Genre | Modern Classical New Age Music Symphonic Rock Ambient |
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| Length | 59:47 | |||
| Label | Wigshop Records | |||
| Producer | E.S. Posthumus | |||
| E.S. Posthumus chronology | ||||
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According to CD Baby, with the release of E.S. Posthumus' new single Arise (Theme to the AFC Championship on CBS), the description of the song hinted that the new album would be called "Deciphered." But in an interview with the group posted on Original Sound Version in December 2009, the new album will no longer be called "Deciphered."[13] The new album, renamed Makara, consists of 15 tracks and was released on February 2, 2010 for download on iTunes, Amazon MP3, and several other popular download services. The album is available on both CD and for digital download at CD Baby. The album was made available on eMusic on January 26, 2010.[14] There may also be a vinyl release of the album in the future.[13]
"Unstoppable" was used for the theme to the 2007 AFC Championship on CBS, and was also used as the entrance music for the Miami University men's ice hockey team as well as the Orlando Magic throughout the 2009-2010 season. The BBC's Top Gear used the song during a highly anticipated drag race between a Bugatti Veyron and a McLaren F1. "Posthumus Zone" was used in the same episode while a Top Gear presenter raced Lamborghini Murcielago LP 670-4 SV through a closed highway in downtown Abu Dhabi. "Unstoppable" is also used by British talent show The X Factor in the pre-title sequences, especially for the Final.
"Arise" was written as the theme to the 2008 AFC Championship on CBS.
"Kalki" was used on trailer for the new Starz original series The Pillars of the Earth.
The whole album was used extensively throughout the 2010 BBC series Celebrity Masterchef.
The following list provides details on the movie, television, or video game trailers that have used tracks from the Makara album:
2009
2010
2011
Rise to Glory is a single released in September 2005 featuring the vocals of rappers DJ Quik and Bizarre (from D12). The song Rise to Glory is recognized as a sung remix and an extended version of Posthumus Zone. It is most commonly recognized as the theme song to the NFL on CBS since the 2005-2006 season.
E.S. Posthumus collaborated with hip hop artist Jay-Z to create a remix of Run This Town and Posthumus Zone for the CBS broadcast of Super Bowl XLIV.
Christmas Eve is a single released in November 2010 as a Christmas tribute to Franz Vonlichten of E.S. Posthumus.[15]
The Vonlichten brothers had begun work on a holiday project, planned to be released during the holiday season, in early March 2010. According to Helmut, the project would be a re-arrangement of their favorite holiday songs and "bring something new to the party".[16] This track was the only song they started recording before Franz died in May 2010.
In a Facebook posting on the group's fanpage, mid-November 2010, Helmut relayed that “When Franz passed away last May, the project was barely off the ground; however, a lyric, piano sketch and rough vocal were completed on the new song.”[17] In that same posting, Helmut shared that he contacted Jeremy Lubbock, the brothers' childhood favorite arranger, to arrange the song for them. Helmut later salvaged the rough vocal recorded months earlier and included it in the final recording.
"Christmas Eve" will be the last song produced from the group E.S. Posthumus and is a product of the Vonlichten brothers' last recording session before Franz's death.
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